Closure for repairing a tire

ABSTRACT

A closure is provided for sealing and repairing a puncture of a tire. The closure is a resilient plug of a rubber-like material stiffer and more durable than prior closures having a generally cylindrical shank portion and an adjoining circular head portion. The periphery of the shank portion has a labyrinth of closely spaced sealing rings and grooves therebetween. When the shank portion is forcibly engaged with a puncture, the sealing rings individually radially compress and locally conform to the size and shape of the puncture thereby providing multiple sealing members with the puncture. Additional sealing is provided by an auxiliary sealing ring on the head portion of the closure which is adhesively bonded to the inner surface of the tire, adjacent to the puncture. Tool attaching means are provided on the closure for forcibly engaging the closure with the puncture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to the art of tire repair and moreparticularly to an improved method and tire repair plug for repairingand sealing punctures of vehicle tires.

Although various styles of tire repair plugs are found in the prior art,none have been fully accepted by the public as a reliable means forrepairing and sealing punctured tires. Consequently, punctured tires areoften discarded, or after being repaired are used only as spares, atgreat expense to their owners.

Heretofore, tire repair plugs have been characterized by soft highlyflexible smooth bodies of rubber-like materials. In the common method ofrepair in present use an adhesive is applied to a thin smooth headlessstrip of a soft highly flexible rubber-like material. The strip is thenfolded, forcibly elongated and inserted into a puncture. During theinsertion of the strip into the puncture, the soft flexible material issubstantially deformed to conform to the puncture and a portion of theadhesive is wiped away from the smooth surface of the strip.

One undesirable consequence of the present practice is that sealingeffectiveness and repair reliability vary with differences in puncturesize and shape.

Another undesirable consequence is that the quality of the repair isdependent upon the skill of the repairman.

Another undesirable consequence is that a portion of the adhesive iswiped away from the smooth outer surface of the plug during itsinsertion into the puncture.

Another undesirable consequence is that the soft flexible materialreduces the durability of the repair plug and is easily penetrated bythe ends of broken steel cords of radial tires which protrude into thepuncture.

Among the remaining prior art, Cluxton, U.S. Pat. No. 594,066 (November,1897), discloses a repair plug for sealing a puncture made of a highlyflexible material, having a smooth tubular stem and adjoining hollowhead, the head portion thereof being forcibly elongated and passedthrough a puncture.

O'Neill, U.S. Pat. No. 609,901 (August, 1898), discloses a multi-piecetire repair plug for sealing a puncture. One piece, made from a highlyflexible material, has a smooth cylindrical stem portion, for engagingin sealing relationship a puncture of a tire, and an adjoining thincircular disc portion. The other piece, a heavier more rigid discportion, is joined to the perimeter of the flexible disc portion of saidfirst piece.

Kraft, U.S. Pat. No. 2,095,931 (October, 1937), discloses a repair plugfor sealing a puncture of a pneumatic tube, made from a highly flexiblematerial, having a smooth hollow conical stem portion and an adjoiningthin circular head portion. In making a repair, the smooth conical stemportion is forcibly elongated and passed through the puncture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an improved tire repair plug for repairing andseaing a puncture of a vehicle tire. The improved repair plug ischaracterized by a labyrinth of closely spaced arcuate sealing rings onthe periphery of a generally cylindrical body and includes a toolengaging means for forcibly inserting the plug into a puncture of atire. Between adjacent sealing rings circumferential grooves providespace for the portions of the sealing rings which are displaced when theplug is forcibly inserted into a puncture. The grooves further providestorage space for adhesive applied to the body of the plug. During aforcible insertion of the plug into a puncture, the peripheral sealingrings individually compress radially inwardly and locally conform to thesize and shape of the puncture.

It is a primary object of the invention to improve the quality andreliability of tire repairs.

Another object, in addition to the foregoing object, is to permit theuse of higher rate, more durable materials, in tire repair plugs.

Another object, in addition to the foregoing objects, is to reduce theloss of adhesive from a tire repair plug during its insertion into apuncture of a tire.

Another object, in addition to the foregoing objects, is to provide aconvenient and inexpensive means for repairing punctured tires.

Additional features, benefits and objects of the invention will becomeapparent from the ensuing description and accompanying drawings whichdisclose the invention in detail. A preferred embodiment is disclosed inaccordance with the best mode contemplated in carrying out the inventionand the subject matter in which exclusive property rights are claimed asset forth in each of the numbered claims at the conclusion of thedescription.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a radial cross-sectional view through a typical vehicle tirewhich has been repaired with the improved repair plug.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of FIG. 1 showing the improvedrepair plug.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the tire repair plug shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of an alternate embodiment of the improved tirerepair plug.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 6--6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a second alternate embodiment of the improvedtire repair plug.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 8--8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of an installation tool for forciblyinserting the repair plug of FIG. 3 into a tire puncture.

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of an installation tool for forciblyinserting the repair plug of FIGS. 5 and 7 into a tire puncture.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of a gage for determining the appropriate size ofthe improved repair plug for sealing a tire puncture.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters refer tolike and corresponding parts throughout the several views, theparticular repair plug 20 disclosed therein includes a generallycylindrical resilient body portion 21, made of a suitable rubber-likematerial, having a labyrinth of closely spaced arcuate sealing rings 22on the periphery thereof and a tool engaging means 23 for forciblyinserting the body portion 21 into a puncture 24 of a tire 25.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the sealing rings 22 being an importantfeature of the invention, are disposed centrally about the axis of theplug 20 and normal to said axis. One effect of the sealing rings 32 is asubstantial reduction over existing repair plugs in the elastic rate inradial compression of the body portion 21. This is so because thecompression rate of a part of a rubber-like material is highly dependenton the shape of the part. Whereas shape has only a minor effect on therates in shear and tension of the part, its compression rate, to a largedegree, varies with the ratio of the load area to the free area of thepart, commonly referred to as the "bulge area" of the part.

Inasmuch as the sealing rings 22 lower the radial compression rate ofthe repair plug 20 over existing smooth bodied plugs, by reducing loadarea and increasing free area, one benefit of the invention is thatstiffer more durable materials than heretofore possible may be used forthe repair plug 20.

Another benefit of the invention is that each of the sealing rings 22 isfree to compress radially inwardly when the body portion 21 is forciblyinserted into the puncture 24 and thereby locally conform to size andshape of the puncture 24. As a result of the improved fit of the plug 20and puncture 24, the quality and reliability of a repair issubstantially improved over repairs with existing repair plugs.

Between adjacent sealing rings 22 are the circumferential grooves 26which are concentric with the rings 22 and normal to the axis of theplug 20. During the insertion of the body portion 21 into the puncture24, the grooves 26 accommodate displaced portions of the sealing rings22 and reduce the wiping away of an applied adhesive from the bodyportion 21 by providing spaced for the adhesive.

One end portion 27 of the body portion 21 is preferably conical to easethe entry of said body portion 21 into the puncture 24. In theparticular embodiment 28 of FIGS. 3 and 4 which is especially adapted tobe inserted into the puncture 24 from the inside of the tire 25 acircular head portion 29 adjoins the other end portion of the bodyportion 21. The circular head portion 29 is concentric with the bodyportion 21 and normal to the axis thereof. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,the circular head portion 29 is a positive stop for insertion of theplug 28 into the puncture 24 and provides sealing to the inner tiresurface 30 surrounding the puncture 24.

The circular head portion 29 preferably has a thin outwardly projectingauxiliary sealing ring portion 31 having intersecting upper 32 and lower33 faces. The auxiliary sealing ring portion 31 is sloped slightlydownwardly to fully contact the lower face 33 thereof against the innersurface 30 of the tire 25 when the body portion 21 is forcibly insertedinto the puncture 24 and the head portion 29 firmly pressed against theinner tire surface 30.

The tool engaging means 23 disclosed in FIG. 4 consists of an axiallydisposed thin folded metal wire insert 34 having a pair of contiguousstraight segment portions 35 and an interconnecting loop end portion 36which projects outwardly from the conical end portion 27 of the bodyportion 21. The folded wire insert 34 is fixedly attached to the bodyportion 21 by bonding the straight segment portions 35 to the interiorof the body portion 21.

A suitable tool 37 for inserting the body portion 21 into the puncture24 is disclosed in FIG. 9 as comprising a generally cylindrical handleportion 38 and an axially disposed adjoining shank portion 39 having ahook portion 40 at the distal end thereof for engaging the wire loopportion 36 and pulling the body portion 21 into the puncture 24.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a headless embodiment 41 is disclosedtherein for repairing the tire 25 by inserting the repair plug 41 intothe puncture 24 from the outside of the tire 25. The tool engaging means42 thereof is an axially disposed circular recess 42 which extendspartially into the repair plug 41. In FIG. 10 is disclosed a suitabletool 43 for inserting the repair plug 41 into the puncture 24 comprisinga generally cylindrical handle portion 44 and an adjoining shank portion45 having a spherical portion 46 at the distal end thereof for engagingthe circular recess portion 42 and pushing the body portion 21 into thepuncture 24.

After the forcible insertion of the plug 41 into the puncture 24 aslender rod shaped core 47, made of a suitable rigid material or aresilient material having a higher rate than the plug 41 is inserted andadhesively bonded to the circular recess 42 of the plug 41. As shown inFIG. 8, the circular recess 42 and the rod shaped core 47 can besubstituted for the folded wire insert 34 of the embodiment 28 disclosedin FIGS. 3 and 4.

Heretofore, the quality and reliability of sealing tire punctures withrepair plugs have depended, to some degree, on the skill of a repairmanand a substantial deformation of a soft highly flexible material. Withthe foregoing in mind, an improved method of repair which controls theamount of deformation of the peripheral sealing rings would furthersatisfy the objects of the invention.

Using the particular embodiment 28 disclosed in FIGS. 3 and 4, by way ofillustration, the initial step in the improved method consists ofselecting an appropriate size repair plug 28, by inserting slender rodshaped gage members 51 into the puncture 24, said gage members 51 beingreferenced to optional size repair plugs 28.

A suitable gage 49 is disclosed in FIG. 11 as having a circular housing50 with radially spaced slender rod shaped gage members 51 fixedlyattached to the periphery of said housing 50 and projecting outwardlytherefrom. On the housing 50, opposite the inner portions of the gagemembers 51, are reference characters 52 which correspond to the optionalsize repair plugs 28. By determining the largest diameter gage member 51which can be inserted into the puncture 24 without excessive force, theappropriate plug corresponding to the reference character 52 of saidgage member 51 is selected.

Thereafter, a suitable adhesive is applied to the plug body portion 21and the adjoining surface 53 of the plug head portion 29 by dipping orbrushing so as to fully coat the sealing rings 22 and grooves 26therebetween and said head surface 53. After applying said adhesive, theshank portion 39 of the tool 37 is inserted from the outside of the tire25 through the puncture 24 and connected to the repair plug loop portion36.

The plug body portion 21 is next forcebly inserted into the puncture 24and the plug head portion 29 firmly seated against the tire innersurface 30 by withdrawing the tool 37 from the puncture 24. The tool 37is then detached from the plug wire loop portion 36 and as a final stepexcess material, including the plug wire loop portion 36 trimmed away sothat the end of the plug 28 is flush with the outer tire surface 54,using a suitable hand tool (not shown).

With reference to the particular embodiments, 41, 48 shown in FIGS. 6and 8, respectively, wherein the tool engaging means 42 consists of acircular recess 42, the number of optional size plugs 41, 48 may bereduced by providing alternate size cores 47 and expanding the plugs 41,48 to accommodate the sizes of the punctures 24.

Although but three embodiments of the invention have been disclosed indetail herein, it is obvious that many changes may be made in the size,shape, arrangement and detail of the various elements of the invention,all without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined bythe appended claims.

I claim:
 1. A plug type closure for repairing a puncture of a tirecomprising in combination:(a) a generally cylindrical resilientexpansible body portion having a labyrinth of closely spaced arcuatesealing rings with concentric grooves therebetween on the periphery ofsaid body portion, said sealing rings being integral with said bodyportion and positioned thereon normal to the axis thereof forindividually resiliently locally conforming in sealing relationship to apuncture of a tire; (b) a circular recess extending partially into saidbody portion for engaging a tool to forcibly engage said body portionwith a puncture of a tire; and (c) a slender rod shaped core forexpanding the body portion, said core having a higher elastic rate thanthe resilient body portion and forcibly inserted into said circularrecess after the body portion is forcibly engaged with said puncture. 2.The plug type closure according to claim 1 further comprising a circularhead portion adjoining one end portion of said body portion, said headportion being disposed concentric with said body portion for conformingin sealing relationship to the inner surface of said tire adjacent tosaid puncture.
 3. The plug type closure according to claim 2 furthercomprising a thin sealing ring portion integral with said head portionprojecting outwardly on the periphery thereof for additionally sealingsaid head portion to the inner surface of said tire.